San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-07

'Ihey don't Know 70, the boys ~ Lyme,
else they'd keep at home for q day or two
There'n be good few sailors more abOarG
his majesty's ships when that gang hns
done it's business"
thought nothing at the time.
But later on / started, remembering
that Joshua had promised TO delivc-
twenty kegs that morning, and that al
daybreak he would be at the hiding place
Another thought struck me.
had no doubt, knowing the nature Of
the business, and the haste made after O
run to get the cargo safely slowed away
and disposed of, that Joshua intended ia
take it all in two loads, probably one that
morning and one the next. This knOwl.
edge put fatal power into my hands. !
turned the thought over in my mind till
it became a resolution, clear and deter.
mined. Since Joshua had sent Dan and
all of them away TO sea, he should go too
OF course they could not take a miller
from his mill-no. But suppose Joshua
was caught, in boatman's rig, handling
his kegs in Rousdon bay!
When John Beer had taken the rector
his brandy, and carried off his own to
some secure place which he knew Os,
probably to friend in the town, a burn
ing desire came over me to see Joshua
Mech face to face and to triumph over
his misfortunes. Tired as was with my
long nights work, / fastened to put on
my hat and set off once more for my
three mile walk across the fields.
l cannot pretend to anything but a
feverish joy that so far my weary head
suffered. / knew how mean and parsi.
mcnious he was, how he pinched and
50 we'd, denying himself Injuries and liv-
Tag hardly, in order to feel richer every
DAY. was quite certain that his chief
pleasure was to open his hiding place
secretly and count his treasures. rejOiced
to think how, in these moments, there
was mixed up 70 feeling that he was saving
up for me, and how that memory would
be an additional stab for him. For mel
Was it possible, even without his super
human wickedness, for me to look upon
another man after my glorious viii?
So he had already found out his loss
That was strange. Did he, then, look IN
the morning to see if it was safe? But
perhaps the open window and the hanging
shutter awakened his suspicious. should
soon know. AS | drew near the mill, and
looked down upon it from the top of the
steep lane leading from the high road, |
could not help feeling the contrast be-
tween the beauty of the place and the an
cry passions Of its master and the girl
who was going to visit him. But had
to hide my indignation. l composed my
features as well as | could, and crossed
his orchard.
Joshua was sitting on the bench outsid,
the mill. The wheel was slowly going
round and round with its monOtOnOus
sound, and the mill was at work. But
its master sat mOtionless, his head on his
hands. He was trying to think who could
have robbed him.
"Joshuar' l cried; "Joshual What Is
the matter9 Are you asleep?''
81 wish l wasp he replied, hoarsely
81 think l shall never be able to sleep
again. What do you want Pleasance2'
~ came to tell you, Joshua, that saw
the fleet pass along the horizon this morn
ing. 1t must be Nelson's. Dan and ths
rest must be aboard one of the ships"
GAY, ay; no doubt Well, they-they-
they will get through it, daresay."
"Oh, Joshua, what villain must he BIZ
who informed against theml What coulo
we do TO that villain to punish him prop
erly? Tell me, joshua"
"Do-do3 What could we do? Pu
him in the duckpOnd, suppose" he re
piled YEARLY.
"That would not be half enough, Joshua
should like to take away all his money
he started-''and to tell al the world
and send him away forever with tn
curses Of the people"
cay" he said, ''never mind the in
former, Pleasance; listen to me. Nv,
been rObbedr'
'You, Joshua' You robbed?''
give been robbed of every farthing
had. All in gold-all tied up in bags-ar
the money I've been saving for years"
''All the money you saved to marry m
With"
at is all gone"
'Then you can't marry me, which viii
be removing a temptation, Joshua. Blu
who could have done iti''
II don't know; l can't think. G,
away, Pleasance, and let me think by my
self"
as there any one who is at enmity witt
you, Joshua"
He shook his head.
ANY one whom you have wronged
Joshua?'
A flush crossed his face. go, child,
you can do nothing. Leave me alone"
Joshua" I said, retreating, ''you are
Methody. Remember what you said to
me, Patience, and kiss the rod"
found next morning, on investigating
the cache, that twenty kegs of salt water
had been taken out, no doubt at daybreak.
rode to Lyme, sought out John Beer,
and revealed my new plot. He at once
fell in with it, The press gang was in
hiding somewhere at Up Lyme. Four of
them would be enough to effect the cap
ture. He would tell them where to 90,
and what they were to expect-a deter
mined man, who would fight for his lib
erty, but good sailor.
They were to lie concealed among the
rocks, just under the hiding place of the
cargo. They were to wait until they
heard their victim climbing down the zig
zag road, and then they were to effect the
seizure. Above all, they were to take
care not to let him be seen in Lyme, Up
lime, Bridport, or any of the places
round, where he might be known.
Now this seemed to me a really spendid
piece of revenge. The other things were
very well in their way, but incomplete.
Joshua was, no doubt, mad with rage at
being robbed Of his money, but he would
recover in time. Also, he would be en-
ragged beyond expression at losing his
brandy. Still he would recover from that
blow. But how would he recover from
the blow of being pressed and sent to sea?
All that night | did not sleep. | heard
toward daybreak the footsteps of the press
gang as they crept down the road to the